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Peridot (pronounced "pear-uh-dot" or "pear-uh-doe") is the gem quality variety of
forsterite olivine. It is bright yellow-green in color, and has a hardness of 6.5 on the
Mohs scale. The chemical composition of peridot is (Mg, Fe) . Peridot is one of the few
gemstones that come in only one color. The depth of green depends on how much iron
is contained in the crystal structure, and varies from yellow-green to olive to very
abundant mineral, but gem quality peridot is rather rare. Peridot crystals have
been collected from iron-nickel meteorites.
Peridot is found in Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico, in the US, and in
Australia, Brazil, China, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Pakistan,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania. Peridot of high quality is commercially
mined in the eastern lava fields of Saudi Arabia. The largest cut peridot is a 310
carat (62 g) specimen in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.. A special
variety of peridot from Pakistan is known as "Kashmir" peridot. Due to the large size
of the rough stones found there, cutters have successfully created faceted stones of
over 100 carats (20 g) from the rough gems of this area.
It is the birthstone for the month of August. According to folklore, the peridot will
bring its wearer success, peace, and good luck. Peridot has been found in Egyptian
jewellery from the early second millennium BCE and was mined from the volcanic
island of Zebirget, or St. Johns Island, in the Red Sea. Native Hawaiians referred to
peridot crystals as the tears of Pele, their goddess of fire.
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